The final page of the Primal Codex closed with a quiet thud.
The ancient book dissolved into countless silver motes before disappearing into Aster's heart.
Silence returned beneath the old oak.
For a long while, Aster simply stood there, breathing.
Each inhale felt deeper than before.
Each exhale smoother.
It wasn't an illusion.
His body had changed.
Not dramatically.
Not enough for anyone to notice at a glance.
But to someone who had spent sixteen years trapped inside a frail body...
Even the smallest change was impossible to ignore.
He clenched his fist.
The muscles in his forearm responded instantly.
His movements felt cleaner.
Lighter.
His posture naturally straightened.
It was as though his body had been quietly corrected from within.
"So this is what permanent comprehension feels like..."
Aster smiled.
He raised his hand.
"Status."
A translucent blue window unfolded before him.
Character Status
Name: Aster
Race: Human
Class: Novice
Level: 1
Health: 115 / 115
Mana: 50 / 50
Attributes
Strength: 7
Agility: 7
Vitality: 8
Intelligence: 5
Spirit: 5
Titles
None
Skills
Passive
• Basic Human Physiology
• Beginner's Adaptability
• Iron Body Foundation (Uncommon) ★
Unique Skill
• Echo of Origin (Unique)
Allows temporary replication of observed skills.
Permanent acquisition requires comprehension of the skill's Truth.
Recorded Skills: 1 / 20
Primal Codex
Chapter I
The First Truth
Progress:
1 / 20 Uncommon Skills Mastered
Aster read through every line twice.
"So it really affected my attributes..."
Health had increased by fifteen points.
Strength.
Agility.
Vitality.
All of them had improved.
Not by leveling.
Not through equipment.
Simply by understanding one skill.
"If every permanent skill strengthens me like this..."
His heartbeat quickened.
The value of the Primal Codex suddenly became much clearer.
Most players chased levels.
Some hunted rare equipment.
Others searched for legendary classes.
But Aster...
He would build himself from the very foundation upward.
Each truth would become another stone supporting the tower he wished to climb.
He quietly closed the status panel.
Before leaving, Aster walked toward a small pond beside the training grounds.
Its crystal-clear water reflected the afternoon sky.
He knelt.
The young man staring back at him looked almost identical to before.
Almost.
His shoulders appeared slightly broader.
The outline of his arms had become firmer.
His posture stood naturally upright.
Even his complexion looked healthier.
"...It's subtle."
If someone who knew him from yesterday looked now, they might not notice anything unusual.
But Aster did.
Having spent years watching his own body slowly weaken inside a hospital room...
He noticed every tiny improvement.
He flexed his hand.
The tendons beneath his skin moved with newfound confidence.
"I've actually become stronger."
Not because numbers said so.
Because he could feel it.
A gentle breeze brushed past him.
Aster stood up.
As he prepared to leave, another notification quietly appeared.
Current Synchronization Time
Time Elapsed in Divine Nexus:12 Hours
Estimated Time Elapsed Outside: 6 Hours
He blinked.
"So time really flows differently."
He remembered Elena saying she would return after work.
"...She'll probably think I'm asleep."
The thought made him smile.
"If I log out now..."
"...I'd only have spent half the time outside."
It was reassuring.
He could continue exploring this world without abandoning the people waiting for him in reality.
Still...
Not yet.
There was something he wanted to accomplish first.
The Primal Codex's quest remained incomplete.
Only one skill had been permanently recorded.
Nineteen more awaited.
Aster glanced back toward the training grounds.
The elderly instructor continued correcting students with unwavering patience.
Aster bowed slightly from a distance.
"Thank you."
The instructor never noticed.
But Aster knew.
Without the old man's guidance, he would never have understood the Truth hidden within Iron Body Foundation.
He turned toward the center of Mistvale.
The village bustled with life.
Warriors practiced swordsmanship.
Archers honed their aim.
Mages tested beginner spells.
Everywhere he looked, people possessed skills he had never seen before.
Yet Aster didn't intend to copy them blindly.
The Primal Codex had already taught him that shortcuts did not exist.
A copied skill was only borrowed knowledge.
True power came from understanding.
His gaze drifted toward the village gates.
Beyond them stretched forests, rivers, and hunting grounds where novice adventurers tested themselves against the world's weakest monsters.
If he wanted to grow...
He needed something more than a defensive foundation.
He needed a way to fight.
"...An offensive skill."
Something capable of defeating monsters.
Something worthy of becoming the second truth recorded within the Primal Codex.
Adjusting the simple wooden sword at his waist, Aster quietly walked toward the village square.
For the first time since entering Divine Nexus...
He had a destination.
And somewhere in Mistvale...
His next teacher was already waiting, unaware that an ordinary young man carrying an ancient Codex was searching for the truth hidden within their blade.